Alaska Airlines Raises Fees, Ends Earning on Saver Fares

The airline is increasing fees for partner award bookings, doubling the cost of purchasing tickets over the phone and eliminating the ability to earn Atmos Rewards points and Status Points on many Saver fares.

While the changes don’t affect award pricing or mileage earning on most fare classes, they could make it more expensive to redeem points and less rewarding to fly on Alaska’s lowest-priced tickets. Here’s what travelers need to know.

Currently, Alaska’s Saver fares, the airline’s version of basic economy, earn 30% of the miles flown toward both Atmos Rewards points and Status Points.

However, that benefit is going away for many travelers later this year. Here’s how the transition will work:

If it’s any consolation, the airline noted that Saver fares on Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines will still count toward Million Miler status even after Aug. 1, with flyers receiving credit equal to 100% of the actual distance flown.

Alaska is also raising partner award ticket fees and phone reservation fees.

Currently, travelers pay a nonrefundable partner award fee of $12.50 per person, each way when redeeming Atmos Rewards points for flights operated by Alaska’s airline partners. Beginning July 1, 2026, that fee will increase to $20 per person, each way, in addition to any applicable taxes and fees.

One thing to keep in mind is that the fee is nonrefundable. Even if you later cancel your award ticket and receive your points back, the partner award fee will not be refunded.

Alaska is also increasing its fee for tickets purchased over the phone. Currently, travelers who make a new reservation through Alaska’s call center pay a $15 fee per person. For tickets purchased on or after July 2, 2026, that fee will double to $30 per person.

The fee applies to both paid and award tickets issued through Alaska’s call center. Atmos Gold and Platinum elite members will continue to receive waived contact center service charges. Many travelers may be able to avoid this fee altogether by booking their tickets online rather than through Alaska’s call center.

For travelers who frequently purchase Saver fares, these changes are disappointing. However, the move isn’t entirely surprising given that many other major U.S. airlines have already reduced or eliminated rewards earning on their most restrictive basic economy tickets.

Those who regularly redeem Alaska points for partner award flights will also face higher out-of-pocket costs. However, while the fee increase is unwelcome, the new $20 partner award booking fee is still relatively modest, especially considering the value travelers can often receive from Alaska’s partner award redemptions.

While these changes make the program less rewarding in some situations, Alaska Atmos Rewards still offers valuable partner redemption opportunities and remains one of the few airline loyalty programs with published award charts.

About the author

Elina Geller is a contributing NerdWallet travel writer specializing in airline and hotel loyalty programs and travel insurance. In 2019, Elina founded TheMissMiles, a travel rewards coaching business. Her work has been featured by Forbes and AwardWallet. She is a certified public accountant with degrees from the London School of Economics and Fordham University.